Zika virus (ZIKV) is a flavivirus that is responsible for an unprecedented current epidemic in Brazil and the Americas. ZIKV has been causally associated with microcephaly, intrauterine growth restriction, and other birth defects in humans and in murine models. ZIKV is believed to cause neuropathology in developing fetuses by crossing the placenta and targeting cortical neural progenitor cells, leading to impaired neurogenesis and resulting in microcephaly and other congenital malformations.
The World Health Organization declared the clusters of microcephaly and neurological disorders and their association with ZIKV infection to be a global public health emergency on Feb. 1, 2016. ZIKV also has been associated with neurologic conditions such as Guillain-Barré syndrome. While the rapid development of a safe and effective ZIKV vaccine is a global health priority, very little is currently known about ZIKV immunology and mechanisms of immune protection.
Accordingly, there is an unmet need in the field for ZIKV therapies.